Causes

Pericardial effusion can result from inflammation of the pericardium (pericarditis) in response to illness or injury. Pericardial effusion can also occur when the flow of pericardial fluid is blocked or when blood collects within the pericardium, such as from a chest trauma.

Sometimes the cause can't be determined (idiopathic pericarditis).

Causes of pericardial effusion include:

• Inflammation of the pericardium following heart surgery or a heart attack
• Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus
• Spread of cancer (metastasis), particularly lung cancer, breast cancer, melanoma, leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or Hodgkin's disease
• Cancer of the pericardium or heart
• Radiation therapy for cancer if the heart was within the field of radiation
• Chemotherapy treatments for cancer, including doxorubicin (Doxil) and cyclophosphamide
• Waste products in the blood due to kidney failure (uremia)
• Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
• Viral, bacterial, fungal or parasitic infections
• Trauma or puncture wound near the heart after open-heart surgery
• Certain prescription drugs, including hydralazine, a medication for high blood pressure; isoniazid, a tuberculosis drug; and phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek, others), a medication for epileptic seizures